illicit
Americanadjective
-
not legally permitted or authorized; unlicensed; unlawful.
- Synonyms:
- prohibited, illegitimate
-
disapproved of or not permitted for moral or ethical reasons.
adjective
-
another word for illegal
-
not allowed or approved by common custom, rule, or standard
illicit sexual relations
Synonym Usage
See illegal.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of illicit
First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin illicitus, equivalent to il- 2 + licit ( def. )
Compare meaning
How does illicit compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Illicit means not allowed by law or custom. It's illegal to kill endangered elephants, but many poachers still engage in the Illicit ivory trade. Illicit usually refers to something that is not morally proper or acceptable. Illicit activities — like smuggling or counterfeiting — happen under the radar of the law. Illicit is from Latin illicitus, from the prefix in-, "not," plus licitus, "lawful."
Vocabulary lists containing illicit
Some Tricky Homonyms
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This Week in Words: September 1 - 7, 2018
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Gates has apologized over his Epstein ties, saying that it was a mistake to meet with Epstein and that he wasn’t involved in any illicit activity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Poorly managed fires of this type are exacerbated by illicit practices such as deforestation, which is common in areas where illegal mining occurs.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
“The river was a safe place to paint, where you could sit and spend the day learning colors, composition,” he said of illicit tagging as a teenager, which eventually led to his public art work.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
The company said its products continue to be targeted by illicit export networks, highlighting the need for deeper collaboration between the tech industry and governments to strengthen supply-chain visibility and enforce export controls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
The illicit payoffs were as yet unknown to the public, and as the barons moved toward the front of the Million Dollar Elm, they were treated as princes of capitalism, the crowd parting before them.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
